Michael Jackson's Doctor Meets With Detectives

June 28, 2009 @ 9:50 AM

Dr. Conrad Murray, the Texas cardiologist who was with Michael Jackson when the singer suffered cardiac arrest at his rented L.A. mansion Thursday, was questioned by Los Angeles police late Saturday, Usmagazine.com has confirmed.

An attorney accompanied Murray to the lengthy meeting, the Associated Press reports.

"Dr. Murray is considered to be a witness to the events surrounding Michael Jackson's death and he is not a suspect," Houston law firm Stradley," Chernoff & Alford said in a statement.

"Dr. Murray hired legal counsel to help guide him through the police investigation process. The law firm was hired to make sure the police investigation is conducted properly."

In a statement to the Associated Press, Murray's spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik added that the doctor "helped identify the circumstances around the death of the pop icon and clarified some inconsistencies. Investigators say the doctor is in no way a suspect and remains a witness to this tragedy."

Murray has been in Los Angeles since Jackson's death and plans to stay here until his cooperation is no longer needed, the rep added.

Questions continue to grow about Murray's involvement in Jackson's life. Murray -- who reportedly is licensed in California, Nevada and Texas and has an office in Houston -- had treated Jackson for three years.

Two weeks ago -- around the time Murray reportedly announced he was shutting down his private practice -- Jackson requested that Murray be with him, according to reports. He was then hired by AEG Live, which was producing Jackson's upcoming London shows.

According to various media reports, Jackson was injected with the narcotic painkiller Demerol shortly before he went into cardiac arrest. Murray had performed CPR on him when paramedics arrived and accompanied the singer in an ambulance to the UCLA Medical Center, where the King of Pop was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. PST Thursday.

Investigative reporter Diane Dimond -- who has covered Michael Jackson for years -- said on CBS' The Early Show Saturday Edition: "If he was the only doctor on the scene and, as we heard in the 911 call, worked on Michael Jackson for quite awhile before they called 911, he may be culpable of something."

The official autopsy, conducted on Friday, failed to determine what killed Jackson. Toxicology test results, which could show the drugs present in Jackson's system, could take up to six weeks.

On Saturday, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said the Jackson family wants answers. "They [the Jacksons] didn't know the doctor. ... He should have met with the family, given them comfort on the last hours of their son," he said at a press conference.

In a quest to find answers, a second autopsy on the performer's body was performed Saturday by a private pathologist hired by the Jackson family, according to TMZ.com and The Los Angeles Times. Tonight, the annual BET awards show will pay tribute to Jackson and his legacy.

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